Explore the 5,965 U.S. Patent Applications published on the 06th week of 2008, including 3,610 applications that subsequently received a Patent Grant.
Pneumatically powered surgical cutting and fastening instrument with audible and visual feedback features
A surgical instrument for use in connection with a pneumatically powered tool having a firing mechanism operably supported therein that is movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position. A pneumatically powered drive system operably communicates with the pneumatically powered tool and is configured to selectively apply at least a firing force to the firing mechanism of the pneumatically powered tool of sufficient magnitude to cause the firing mechanism to move from the unactuated position to the actuated position in response to a flow of gas from a source of gas that is fluidically coupled to the pneumatically powered drive system. At least one feedback device communicates with the pneumatically powered drive system for providing feedback concerning at least one of: (a) the magnitude of the firing force as the pneumatically powered drive system moves the firing mechanism from the unactuated to actuated position; and (b) a relative position of the firing mechanism as the firing mechanism is moved between the unactuated and actuated positions.
Published: 2008-02-07
Pneumatically powered surgical cutting and fastening instrument with improved volume storage
A surgical instrument for use in connection with a pneumatically powered tool. IN various embodiments, the instrument include a drive system that is configured to apply at least one actuation motion to the pneumatically powered tool upon receipt of a flow of gas under pressure. The instrument may further comprise a material storage member that is fluidically coupled to the drive system. The material storage member may contain a material in a first non-gaseous state that selectively vaporizes into the gas under pressure upon actuation of the drive system. A power source for a gas driven device is also disclosed. In various embodiments, the power source comprises a material storage member that is fluidically coupled to the gas driven device. The material storage member contains a material having a first non-gaseous state and which selectively vaporizes into a gas under pressure upon actuation of the gas driven device.
Published: 2008-02-07
Pneumatically powered surgical cutting and fastening instrument with actuator at distal end
A surgical instrument that includes a distal member configured to receive a pneumatically operated tool assembly therein. The instrument may also include an elongate shaft assembly that has a distal end portion that is coupled to the distal member and a proximal end portion. A drive member may be supported by the distal end portion of the elongate shaft assembly and may be configured to apply at least two actuation motions to the pneumatically operated tool assembly upon receipt of at least one pneumatic drive signal from a source of pneumatic power. The drive member may comprise a dual-acting cylinder, a single-acting cylinder, a bellows assembly, etc. The distal end portion of the elongate shaft member may articulate relative to the proximal end portion thereof and/or the distal end portion of the elongate shaft assembly may be detachable from the proximal end portion.
Published: 2008-02-07 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
Pneumatically powered surgical cutting and fastening instrument with mechanical linkage coupling end effector and trigger motion
A surgical instrument for use in connection with a pneumatically powered tool having a firing mechanism operably supported therein that is movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position. In various embodiments, a drive system is supported by at least one of a handle assembly and an elongate shaft assembly and is configured to selectively apply a firing motion to the firing mechanism of the pneumatically powered tool to cause the firing mechanism to move from the unactuated position to the actuated position in response to a flow of gas from a source of gas fluidically coupled to the drive system. A travel monitoring member is operably supported by the handle assembly and is linked to the drive system to provide an indication of progress of the firing mechanism of the pneumatically powered tool as the firing mechanism moves from the unactuated position to the actuated position.
Published: 2008-02-07 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
Pneumatically powered surgical cutting and fastening instrument with manually operated retraction apparatus
A surgical instrument for use in connection with a pneumatically powered tool having a firing mechanism operably supported therein that is movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position. In various embodiments, a drive system operably communicates with the pneumatically powered tool and is configured to selectively apply at least a drive system generated firing motion to the firing mechanism of the pneumatically powered tool to cause the firing mechanism to move from the unactuated position to the actuated position in response to a flow of gas from a source of gas fluidically coupled to said drive system. A retraction member communicates with the drive system to enable a manually generated retraction motion to be applied thereto to manually move the firing mechanism in a distal direction from the actuated position to the unactuated position.
Published: 2008-02-07
Surgical cutting and fastening instrument with distally mounted pneumatically powered rotary drive member
A surgical instrument that includes a distal member configured to receive a pneumatically operated tool assembly therein. The instrument may also include an elongate shaft assembly that has a distal end portion that is coupled to the distal member and a proximal end portion. A pneumatically powered rotary drive member may be supported by the distal end portion of the elongate shaft assembly and may be configured to apply at least two rotary actuation motions to the pneumatically operated tool assembly upon receipt of at least one pneumatic drive signal from a source of pneumatic power. The pneumatically powered drive member may comprise a pneumatically powered motor. In various embodiments, the distal end portion of the elongate shaft member may articulate relative to the proximal end portion thereof and/or the distal end portion of the elongate shaft assembly may be detachable from the proximal end portion.
Published: 2008-02-07 Assignee: ETHICON ENDO-SURGERY, INC..
Pneumatically powered surgical cutting and fastening instrument with a variable control of the actuating rate of firing with mechanical power assist
A surgical instrument that includes a distal member configured to receive a pneumatically operated tool assembly therein. The instrument may also include pneumatically powered drive member configured to generate at least one actuation motion upon receipt of at least one pneumatic signal from a source of pneumatic power fluidically coupled thereto. A drive shaft assembly communicates with the pneumatically powered drive member for transmitting the actuation motions to the distally mounted pneumatically operated tool. The device further includes a power assist member that communicates with the drive shaft assembly for transmitting additional manually generated actuation motions to the drive shaft assembly.
Published: 2008-02-07
Pneumatically powered surgical cutting and fastening instrument with replaceable power sources
A surgical instrument that includes a handle assembly that removably supports a source of pneumatic power. A pneumatically powered drive system is operably supported by the surgical instrument and is configured to be fluidically coupled to the source of pneumatic power. The handle assembly may be provided with a lockout system that is configured to block connection of the source of pneumatic power to the portion of the handle assembly and the pneumatically powered drive system after the source of pneumatic power is disconnected from the portion of the handle assembly and the pneumatically powered drive system a predetermined number of times. In alternative embodiments the handle assembly may be provided with attachment components that either break off or are otherwise disabled to prevent the reattachment of the source of pneumatic power to the handle assembly after the source has been detached therefrom.
Published: 2008-02-07
Safety charging system for surgical hand piece
A safety charging system for a battery-operated surgical hand includes a charging base, a battery pack, and control logic. The charging base has an RFID reader antenna disposed near a top surface of the charging base and charge circuitry for charging the battery. The battery pack has the battery used with the hand piece and an RFID tag antenna disposed near a bottom surface of the battery pack. The control logic determines if the battery should be charged based on a data point read by the RFID reader antenna.
Published: 2008-02-07 Assignee: Medtronic, Inc..
Device for occlusion of a left atrial appendage
The invention provides a system for occluding a left atrial appendage of a patient. The system can include a ring occluder that can be positioned around the left atrial appendage and a ring applicator to position the ring occluder with respect to the left atrial appendage. The system can also provide a tissue-grasping tool that is separable from the ring applicator tool.